1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic software configuring system that extracts multiple software components from a software component database storing therein existing software components and that combines the extracted software components, thereby to automatically generate a source code of a new computer program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, software development has been carried out in such a manner that existing software components (each of which hereinbelow will be referred to as a “soft component”) are combined together to thereby develop a new software product, thereby to accomplish development cost reduction therefor. Further, a manner is under study in which proven soft components are selected for existing soft components, and the soft components are combined to develop a new soft component and to maintain their quality.
As a related example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-171898 discloses a technique with the provision of an automatic software configuring system. According to the disclosed system, in the multiple soft components are extracted from a soft component database preliminarily storing therein existing soft components, and the extracted soft components are combined together, thereby to automatically generate a source code of a new computer program (simply a “program,” herebelow).
However, various cases can occur with such a soft component database as described below. For example, a case can take place in which a bug is detected in a soft component stored in the soft component database, and the hence the soft component containing the bug is replaced with a bug-corrected soft component, and a new soft component is added to the soft component database. In such a case, a maintenance operation of the soft component database has to be carried out. In particular, the number of soft components stored in the soft component database is large, it is important to facilitate the maintenance operation.
Hence, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-102380 discloses a technique for a method that automates replacement of a soft component containing a bug with a bug-corrected soft component for a soft component database that manages multiple soft components by using macro descriptions.